Before we leave for our two week break, I would like us to take a few moments to reflect upon the successful Fall Semester we have just completed and the wonderful people who contributed to these efforts.

We began the school year with good news from the Texas Education Agency. Not only did all of our schools meet State accountability standards, LISD also earned a Recognized District Rating with a B (87) from the Texas Education Agency.

Kawas Elementary School became the only elementary school in Webb County to have been recently named as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School. This is the second consecutive year that Laredo ISD has been the only District in Webb County to have earned Blue Ribbon School honors.Last year, the Garcia Early College High School joined the nationally acclaimed list of Blue Ribbon schools, becoming the first campus to have earned this distinction.

It is also important to note that LISD initiated the Sabas Perez Early College Academy while Cigarroa High School was also designated as an early college PTECH campus.And plans are currently underway to start an Early College Academy for Business, Industry and Professional Services Academy at Nixon High School next year.

Firmly believing that our students should excel in all facets of education, we have made it a priority to encourage participation in school activities, clubs and athletics. We are proud to say that more students than ever before are involved in all kinds of extracurricular activities in our schools.

Moreover, our attendance rate is up 0.38% from 96.54% to 96.92%. The importance of school attendance has been a theme that we have carried and communicated throughout the year, understanding that students who consistently attend school are more apt to perform well in all state and local assessments. Such focused efforts from our staff, students and parents are also credited as one of the reasons why almost 200 of our LISD students earned perfect scores on the STAAR exam during the 2017-2018 school year.

We can surely add so many other accolades to our list of successful events occurring during the last several months.To note, just a few weeks ago, the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications was announced as a recipient of the Texas Medal of Arts by the Texas Cultural Trust. The medal will be presented during a ceremony in February in Austin.We are extremely proud of our talented students and passionate teachers who strive to represent our schools in the best possible light in any competition or venue across the state!

And we can’t forget our recent Christmas Posada held on the grounds of the Trevino Magnet School. It was great to see so many of our students performing before the eager crowds attending this event as well as having the opportunity to enjoy delicious antojitos and participate in a variety of games, all to raise money for scholarships for our deserving graduates. We will always be thankful for our community partners who stepped up to make our Posada a huge success. This is a fine example of how we are building tomorrow together with the support of our parents, schools, and community.

As 2018 comes to a close, I am profoundly grateful for your untiring efforts on behalf of our LISD students.It’s been a wonderful year, filled with many heartwarming memories and blessings. Together, we have accomplished so much because of the exemplary dedication that defines all of our LISD staff!I am so proud of our students and those who care enough to support our children in every way possible as they chart their futures in our classrooms every day.

With this being said, may the blessings and joy of the Christmas Season surround you and strengthen you throughout the coming year. Have a safe holiday season, and we will see you back at LISD on Monday, January 7, 2019.